Stories of the Venture (Freeform Serenity)

[King Tius]

Stories of the Venture

It is a bustling day at the Eavesdown Docks on Persephone. The spaceport is chocked full of people and the skies are almost black with traffic from ships zooming through the air. On these docks, crowded amidst the street vendors, vagabonds, harpers, and thugs are ships of every make and model imaginable: from the largest of the old cargo freighters to the sleek new personal cruisers of the incredibly wealthy. A man could make a real life decision standing in these docks. One step onto any one of these ships would lead you to a life of adventure out in the black.

How curious it is that our tale does not begin at the Eavesdown Docks. Instead, we turn to a large field some 15 miles from the docks. Owned and operated by the sleaziest man in all the ‘Verse, the place is called “Louie Chan’s Shipyard.” Though this name is painted sloppily on a rusty sign by the trailer Louie lives in, everyone from here to Boros knows this place as one thing only: “The Graveyard.” Here lay the shells and skeletons of many a ship, packed similarly to the Eavesdown Docks but lacking the bustling life underneath. Boats are parked here for all manners of reasons and nearly every one of them has an occupant, whether legitimate or not. As you disembark the train and make your way to the Graveyard, you see the looming hulls of these vessels from several streets away.

Through one way or another you came to hear about a crew being chartered by a man who referred to himself as “The Duke.” While many of the crews being assembled at the Eavesdown Docks were looking for very specific crew positions for very specific ship assignments, this one came across as much more mysterious. All the initial message had indicated was that “crew and shareholders” were “invited to take a gamble” to “undertake a venture in private shipping.” The location of the initial “shareholder’s meeting” and the discretion with which you received word of it suggested that this crew would be quite different from that of the standard freelance establishment popularized by certain television shows. Seeing as the last Fed you passed was boarding the train at the Eavesdown docks, you can’t help but wonder if the location was chosen purposefully to avoid the Alliance’s prying eyes.

The initial message also came with a ship name, one that draws a smile to your face as you finally pick it out amongst the ruins. The Venture, an Orca class mid freighter, sits facing the sunset as you assemble outside. She looks like a fairly new ship, especially compared to the pieces of junk around her. Those with an eye for ships can tell that she’s been stripped of all her essentials, though a glance near her rear suggests there’s still an engine aboard. A sign is posted on the closed (and locked) door to the main cargo hold, saying simply “First meeting 6:00 pm.”

OOC: You arrive at the Venture in the order you post, at the time you specify. We will be using this ship (http://tiuseht.deviantart.com/art/Orca-Class-Freighter-Schematic-79321460), designed by yours truly. Here’s a quick MS Paint job (http://tiuseht.deviantart.com/art/002-E-F-N-Y-58637033) of the exterior (this ship was named the E.F.N.Y).

A Link to our OOC thread can be found HERE (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101928)
We have a Wiki (http://www.wiki-site.com/index.php/Stories_of_the_Venture), too

New Blood (almost) always welcome!

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
A Korean man of about medium height arrives around 4:20 in the afternoon, wearing tan flak vest and fatigues over a black muscle shirt. He casts a wary eye around. He had had a run of bad luck. No one was buying on the border and he'd been forced to sell his own ship for debts. The nature of the message, and the person it came from, told him that he would feel right at home with the work that was no doubt going to be offered. Although he didn't like being left out in the open.He was fine with a gamble, he'd taken plenty in his life, like when he decided to switch to the Browncoats to get off Serenity or followed a dubious distress signal half-way across the core only to find an Alliance ambush. Fortunately they hadn't bothered him since but he always got antsy in the core. Good time to get off. At least the ship looked nice, if missing quite a few parts. Rubbing his black hair, he gazes around, selecting a derelict hulk and waiting inside for someone else to show up.

[Dorizzit]

Tidus Renn

Tidus wanders into the "graveyard" an hour or two early for the meeting. His whole life is carried on his back. He wears one of only two sets of clothes he possesses, a badly stitched up coat over simple brown and equally ill-mended pants and shirt. His pistols are at his sides, carefully checked over before hand to make absolutely certain that they were in good order. On his back, his sword rests easily, many years of usage having made him comfortable with the weight. Over the sheathed blade, his pack hangs, a battered but durable thing containing his extra clothes, a little food, a few well-used tools, and not much else. He walks into the shipyard with suspicion, carefully watching every shadow and the few other, equally mangy patrons. This wasn't a place someone went when they wanted a ship. This was a place someone went when they wanted escape, from their parents, their jobs, their debts.

Or their pasts. And the demons that came with them. Tidus was just such a person.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena Rassekh

Lena Rassekh picks her way through the wreckage of the Graveyard, following the directions she was given to find the Venture. She was hoping the advertised ship would be her escape from this world, but seeing the condition of the wrecks around her is starting to eat away at her dream. She steps carefully over some jagged pieces of steel and comes into Kenneth's and Tidus' view. They see a smooth-faced young woman in her early twenties, with olive skin and a long, thick braid of dark brown hair. Her dark eyes are moist at the moment, and she runs the sleeve of her worn leather jacket under her strong, slightly hooked nose to wipe it ineffectually.

Lena sighs as she slips off her vintage olive-drab rucksack and lowers it to the ground, taking care not to bump a wide blanket-roll (actually a quilt) strapped to the top. Her jacket is unbuttoned, and fits her athletic frame nicely except for the sleeves being an inch long. Her khaki trousers, on the other hand, are far too big on her, and patched many times. A wide synthetic belt cinches them up high on her waist. Her thin dark-green t-shirt is damp with sweat at her neckline, as is a bandanna of the same material on her head. Only her boots look new, though the four-pointed compass star stamped on the heel leather is the mark of an outfitter company that has not existed since before the Unification War. She wears no makeup or jewelry, but her face is clean, unlike most of the people in this part of town.

Lena is silent for a few moments as she rests, looking at Kenneth a fe meters to her left and Tidus the same distance to her right. She takes a canteen out of a pouch on her rucksack and takes a swig. Eventually her curiosity gets the best of her, and she gestures to Tidus' back.

"Where'd you find that museum piece?"

[ubersquid]

Thomas Nikagi

A young man, almost a kid strolls around between the wrecks and gazes on them with an open mouth. He looks worried and helpless while he wanders around, wrenching his head, trying to decipher the nameplates of the ships which have long rusted away. As he notices the group of people standing around, he delightedly pulls up a black leather bag that was loosly dangling on his sholder and walks towards them.

"Uhm.. Hi! I'm looking for the Venture... supposed to be an active starship landed here, but I could only find wrecks so far. Have you uhm... seen it by chance?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Bounty-Hunter and Veteran

The General looked at the crumpled piece of paper in his hand, scribbly writing all over it. He'd gotten it in a bar, not far from the Eavesdown Docks area for spaceships. The man had laughed. A gamble, he'd said. General Blackburn would take whatever he could get now. He had a job lined up on the planet. There was a certain man, who was of some notability on Persephone, and this man had a bounty on his head. Individual contractors, quite obviously, as the Alliance were unlikely to need assistance in law-keeping on a core planet. The problem was, these contractors wanted him alive, and if he kidnapped him his friends would want the General dead. So he needed to ensure he had transport before kidnapping the man. A gamble was good enough for him. He'd stormed into battle with less than that.

The General crossed through the junkyard, paying little heed to the barking dogs Louie had on chains near the fences, and after a bit of looking he found four people standing by a stripped ship. They didn't seem to be doing much but standing around. The General dropped the large reinforced suitcase he'd been carrying on his back onto some metal plates and debris with a thunk. He adjusted his hat to the sunlight reflecting off all the steel and glass in the junkyard and then took out a thick cigar and a lighter.
"You, over there. You the captain of this wreck? The Duke?" he asked Kenneth, and then lit his cigar.
"I'm here for the job"
He puffed out a cloud of smoke from his cigar and added "Does that piece of shung-hau even fly?"

If you were an idiot you might mistake the General for a regular muscle man, as he was indeed quite muscular, especially considering his age. His collection of scars, unshaven grey beard and poor hygiene would only support this theory. They'd, off course, be utterly wrong, as a second glance could confirm. The General wore a tough, worn brown trenchcoat, which was suspiciously familiar to those the Browncoats had worn during the war. There were even lighter patches on his shoulders, where one would expect his stripes to be were it a military uniform. His broad rimmed leather hat and red scarf with white polkadots on it were clearly intended to hide his identity should the need arise. The most notable feature, for those with a better insight in people, were his piercing, shifty blue eyes, that seemed to stare right through you, through everything, but occasionally quickly dart to another direction and then back. Whatever the General was, calling him a mere muscleman would be a gross understatement.

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
Out of work black marketeer

Kenneth gives the newcomer a wary eye and replies, "Nope, Kenneth Selden. If it was my ship it'd be in working order......probably, he says with a shrug. Kenneth scrutinizes the man for a moment, realizing from his build and wear, he was probably a war vet. "You weren't part of the war by any chance, were you?" he asks.

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Bounty-Hunter and Veteran

"The war?" the General asks from the corner of his mouth, the other corner holding his cigar.
"Quite definitely not. Name's Sei Sun, by the way"
He shook Kenneth's hand, but as Kenneth was about to let go he squeezed tighter.
"Why do you ask? You got a problem with veterans, son?"

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
Out of work black marketeer
"A pleasure," Kenneth says through clenched teeth, "call me Ken. I've not no problem with veterans, just like to know who I'm working with."

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Bounty-Hunter and Veteran

The General let Ken's hand go, slightly disappointed the man didn't respond to his provocation.
"You may be working with Sei Sun" Blackburn said, "If the deal's agreeable"
The General proceeded to circle the ship, tapping it's hull.
"Sturdy, at least. Might just not fall out of the sky"

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden

"I'll probably be taking it whatever it is, need some capital. Not a bad model though,"he says appraisingly, "Flew one myself a while back."

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Known as "Sei Sun"

The General turned away from the vehicle after inspecting it.
"You're a pilot?"
He adjusted the cigar in his mouth and pulled his hat up a bit so he could see Kenneth clearer.
"I flew my own share of ships. Though I ended up crashing most. Don't misunderstand, I can keep a ship in the air if I like. Still, piloting wouldn't be my thing"

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
Out-of-work black marketeer

Kenneth shrugs, "I can fly, used to run a discreet supply business out on the border. There's probably much better than me but I'm not bad. What exactly would be your thing then?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Known as "Sei Sun"

"Discreet, eh? That's good, I like discreet"
That was a lie. He didn't like discreet at all. He thought discreet was the smart thing for him, but didn't like it. The General would more often than not go through great trouble in order not to remain discreet.
"Huh? My thing? Oh, a little bit of this and that. Gunplay, mostly, but as I said I can pilot a ship if need be. My job tends to be getting people out of scraps"
That was another lie. His job tended to be getting people into scraps. He wasn't a problem fixer, but a problem maker. Unless your problem was that certain people were breathing, off course.

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
Out-of-work black marketeer
Kenneth nods understandably, "Not a bad shot myself, now where's this 'Duke'?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Known as "Sei Sun"

"A discreet supplier from the border who can handle a gun? You sound like a smuggler to me, boy"
The General laughed, but he clearly wasn't kidding.
"Now, I'm wondering where that Duke fellow is myself"
The General checked his watch, which was some sort of relic with cracked glass, all kinds of strange buttons on it and a very improvised looking leather strap.
"It's past six already. This punk had better not be late"
The General slapped the side of the ship repeatedly.
"Wake up!"

[ubersquid]

Thomas Nikagi

Standing nearby the two men, feeling slightly ignored and out of place in the ongoing conversation, Tommy's face finally lightens up as the Duke is mentioned.

"The Duke? Do you know him?"

Finally it dawned on him that he was standing next to the Venture all along.

"Oh... so you are here for the job too, eh? Do you have any idea how many of us they are going to need?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Known as "Sei Sun"

The General looked at the kid next to him.
"If there's any question who to take they're going to pick me over you, that's for sure. You look a little snotty for this stunt, kid. Are you sure you wouldn't rather be at home suckin' on your momma's tit?"
As always the General demonstrated a remarkable way with words. One that tended to make even the calmest man want to hit him.

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
Out-of-work black marketeer
"Hey," Kenneth says, "it's not my fault the Alliance has embargos on certain neccessities of life outside the core. Extra cash is always handy." Turning to Thomas, he replies, "never met the man, I'm guessing you haven't either."

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Known as "Sei Sun"

"Oh, so you'd describe yourself as a Samaritan rather than a vulture who's only interest is his own purse? Question you need to ask yourself, before you go declaring yourself to be a saint, is whether you'd still do it weren't the money so good"

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
Out-of-work black marketeer
"I'm not saying I'm a saint," Kenneth replies defensibly, "I'm saying I run supplies, some of which are illegal. ANd yes, as long as I could make a living I would keep running whatever people need."

[ubersquid]

Thomas Nikagi

Thomas wrinkles his nose and repeats a hardly audible "...suckin' on your momma's tit." while mocking the generals voice and turns away.

Rolling his eyes, he walks up to Lena and greets her with a shy smile. "Psh... Old people, eh? Hi Miss, I'm Thomas. Are you here to see mister Duke too?"

[King Tius]

OOG: While we are waiting on everyone else to get on board I will start introducing my cast of characters, just so everyone knows I'm still here.

Dr. Eugene Roe
A slender, Italian man dressed in nice slacks, a white button down, and a worn bomber jacket appears wandering through the graveyard. A medical Red Cross patch is sewn on his shoulder and a small column of smoke emanates from his mouth with the rhythmic tugs on his cigarette. He approaches the Venture and glances down at his feet, stooping down to wipe a piece of dirt from his well polished boots. He places his duffel bag on a piece of scrap, careful to avoid getting it dirty. Still holding his doctor's bag, he glances around at those assembled and then stares off absent-mindedly at the Venture's hull.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena Rassekh

Lena sizes up the young man accosting her. Dad would say don't trust him... but we may very well be crewmates within in hour. He looks harmless enough, and it's nice to see someone my own age.
Lena does not step forward to offer a handshake, but she returns Thomas' shy smile.

"Pleased to meet you, Thomas. I'm Lena. You're looking for work? What do you do?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

Thomas Nikagi
Rolling his eyes, he walks up to Lena and greets her with a shy smile. "Psh... Old people, eh? Hi Miss, I'm Thomas. Are you here to see mister Duke too?"

"Wow, did you just call me old, son? You want to see how this old man does in a fight?"
The General pulled up his sleeves.
"You afraid of an old man, son?"

[ubersquid]

Thomas Nikagi

"Well you know, whatever comes along and..." While trying to act all nonchalant in front of Lena, he is suddenly interrupted.

"I... I'm sorry sir, I uhm... I didn't mean it"
Thomas backs up a few steps from Sei Sun and prepares to run if he would really take a swing at him.

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Know as "Sei Sun"

The General spit on the ground and rolled down his sleeves again.
"Coward" he muttered.
"Might as well get to know each other while we're waiting for the Duke to show up. We've got a smuggler and a coward so far, who are the rest of you guys? It's good to know your unit before you head into the fray, I always say"

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena Rassekh

"Put me down as a coward as well. How about you? What's your specialty?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Introduced as "Sei Sun"

"As I said, I get people out of scraps. I handle difficult situations well. Stay calm and such. Reason why you'd want a man like me on board is in case you run into any trouble. I mean the violent kind of trouble, off course"
The General puffed out a cloud of smoke and look at each and every one of the people present.
"Anyone taking "a gamble" might be able to expect that kind, I suppose. As for you, young lady, what makes you think we'd have use for not one, but two cowards on board?"

[Headless_Ninja]

Aaron Hale, mechanic

Aaron approaches the gathered applicants with trepidation. So these were the people that he'd be spending his voyage with? He attempted to suppress a shudder, but still he shook a little and the assortment of tools bound haphazardly about him jangled as he did so. He was wearing the last of his clean clothes (although 'clean' here was a relative term) having travelled across the planet to get here, and wearing a backpack that contained all his worldly possessions. To the assembled crew, he looked young, green and incredibly nervous. He cast an appraising eye over the people he saw (although he did not make any eye contact whatsoever) and the ship, before finally summoning up the courage to speak. When he does, the words spill out, and he keeps talking seemingly without regard for the actions the others take.

Um... Um. Hi. Hope- hope I'm not interrupting or anything? No? I'm, uh Aaron. Aaron Hale, and I was wondeing if you - well I know you are - were looking for a mechanic? Well, because, I'm one. A mechanic, I mean. And, well, if your ship is that empty, you might, uh, need me. As a mechanic, I mean. I'm good, well, very good. Um.

Hi. What were you talking about?

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Introduced as "Sei Sun"

"It's not our ship, son. We're just as much waiting for The Duke as you are. Can't say we have a mechanic yet though, so you're probably in. Except maybe Mr. Silent over there"
The General pointed at Tidus as he said this.

[ubersquid]

Thomas Nikagi

He throws Lena another shy smile as she sides with him against Sei Sun. He rummages around in his bag and produces a smal PDA. He quickly looks at it, hits a few buttons and stows it away again. Then he fiddles with the top button of his sweaty white shirt to get some more air. Obviously Thomas is quite nervous.

[Headless_Ninja]

Aaron looks momentarily confused, then speaks again, still noticeably avoiding eye contact.Oh. Uh... Shiny, then. So you're all after employment too? If you don't, uh, mind me asking?

[MrEdwardNigma]

Aaron looks momentarily confused, then speaks again, still noticeably avoiding eye contact.Oh. Uh... Shiny, then. So you're all after employment too? If you don't, uh, mind me asking?

"I'm looking to take a gamble. I'm looking for some transportation. If someone wants to pay me for riding on their ship, well then, I won't refuse it, that's for sure. But it ain't my primary concern"

[Headless_Ninja]

"Well, then I won't be pryin' my nose where it doesn't belong, I suppose. Did you happen to mention that you - that is the crew - already possibly had someone to fill my, well, my space? As a mechanic? Because it's just, I don't know if I misunderstood you... Pleased to meet you"

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Introduced as Sei Sun

"Stop apologising for everything, you're making me nervous!" the General shouted. He didn't like crawly, polite people. He couldn't relate to them in the slightest and they never gave him a proper reason to punch them in the face. It really wasn't fair, as they were the people he liked to punch the most.
"What I said was that the bloke over there hasn't said a word since he arrived may just be after the exact same job you are. Then again, he may be after a job as a medic or a companion just as likely!"
The General laughed loudly and slapped Aaron on the shoulder hard.

[King Tius]

Just before 5 o'clock two more figures come walking into view...

Mr. Sing (sin-Gah)
An extremely tall and gaunt man of Chinese descent strides forward with perfect grace. He wears all black and has pronounced cheek bones for an Asian man, making him appear all the more like a skeleton save for the yellow tone of his skin. He dresses in all black and wears very thin, rectangular glasses. The fine black hat upon his head matches the fine black suitcases he caries with him.

Melody Sinclare
Ms. Sinclare is in her late 20s and is of average height (though she appears very short next to Sing). Her red hair flows freely in the slight breeze and accent her green eyes. She's dressed in plain clothes and wears only a large backpack.

The two approach the gather crowd, though they do not appear to be talking to one another. Mr. Sing comes to a halt and looms over everyone, his lips pulled tight as he gathers the scene. Bowing so low you worry he may topple over, he speaks in a slow, almost snakelike voice. "Good afternoon. Is this where the meeting is to occur?" Before anyone has a chance to answer the whirl of machinery is heard from behind. With a hiss the cargo bay door begins to lower itself slowly. The Irish woman laughs as you move out of the way to avoid being crushed and it is a sweet, pleasant one. The smoking man in the bomber jacket leans against a piece of scrap, still not saying anything.

As the cargo bay door finally touches down you get a glimpse into an empty cargo bay, completely devoid of any people or things. Not even a piece of garbage stuck in a corner. The bay lights are off and it feels like you are peering into some great cave, not the belly of a ship. From deep inside the ship you hear someone call out "Come in!" though the sound is greatly muffled, as if he were at the other end of the Orca.

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
Introduced as Sei Sun

Blackburn picked up his huge reinforced suitcase again with one hand and strode into the hull of the ship, his other hand on his gunbelt.

[Headless_Ninja]

Aaron flinches as the man's hand claps him, and as he turns towards the ship, the mechanic shudders. Still, best make the best of things. Forcing a confident grin, Aaron enters the cargo bay.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena Rassekh

Lena grabs her gear and goes into the ship with the rest. As everyone shuffles about to take their place inside. She speaks quietly to Aaron Hale:

"You're a mechanic? That's great - from the look of things your skills will be in high demand here!"

[SilentNight]

Kenneth picks up his bag and what appears to be a violin case and follows inside warily, a hand brushing the hilt of one pistol.

[ubersquid]

Thomas Nikagi

After peering into the darkness for some time, Thomas hastily follows the others, standing on his toes and raising his head to catch a glimpse over the people in front of him.

[Headless_Ninja]

"You're a mechanic? That's great - from the look of things your skills will be in high demand here!"

"I... Thanks. I think they might be... I'm Aaron. Did I mention that?

[King Tius]

Venturing inside the Venture, your eyes slowly adjust to the shift in lighting. A moment of awkward silence passes until a man appears on the upper catwalk, flashlight in hand. He shines the light briefly on the group, just to get a feel for the size of you all. "Just a minute, trying to get the emergency lights to work. I salvaged a battery off one of the nearby rigs. Thank god the gorram ship had light bulbs! Take a minute to get to know each other." He disappears into the ship again.

[SilentNight]

Kenneth glances around warily. "Well," he says, "names Kenneth Selden, supply runner. How about the rest of you?"

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena stands with her feet shoulder width apart, her knees slightly bent, and hooks her thumbs under her rucksack's shoulder straps.
"I'm Lena Rassekh. I... don't know much about spaceships, but I'm a fast learner if anybody here will teach me." She casts a quick glance at Aaron.

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
"Sei Sun"

"Gorram it, Duke! Hurry up, will you? We've been waiting for ages and I've actually got better things to do than hang around in a junkyard!"

[Headless_Ninja]

Aaron Hale, mechanic.
Aaron murmurs to Lena
"He's, ah, not very... Polite, is he?
To the rest of the group:
"Again, uh, hi. Pleased to meet you, Ken-Kenneth, right?

[SilentNight]

Kenneth nods, "Call me Ken. Nice timing too, looks like we're going to need a mechanic, specially if he can't get the damn lights up."

[Headless_Ninja]

"Oh! You think I should help him?"
(Calls) "Hello? Do you need - I mean, would you like - me to help with those, uh, lights?"

[SilentNight]

Kenneth shakes his head."I'm guessing he won't want help, specially if he's willing to let us sit out in that garbage heap." Turning to the man in the black bomber jacket, Ken coughs obviously and asks, "So what do you do my well-dressed friend."

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena Rassekh

Lena isn't all that interested making further small talk at the moment - she's never been inside a spaceship before - so she says quietly to Aaron,

"C'mon, let's go after him and see what he's doing!"

She looks around for a staircase and starts making her way up to where the man disappeared into the ship, leaving it up to Aaron to decide whether he wants to follow or continue to socialize.

Where'd the dude with the sword go?

[Headless_Ninja]

"Uh... OK!" (To others) "So... I'll be, uh, inside"
(Heads off towards where the man disappeared to).

[King Tius]

The man in the bomber jacket turns to Kenneth and eyes him a moment. Not maliciously, he's simply taking in the measure of the man. He pulls on his cigarette and replies as he exhales. "I'm a physician. Figured this rig'll need a doctor. Supply Runner? That mean you can help us get things for this junker?"

Lena and Aaron make it halfway up the metal stairs along the side of the cargo bay before the Emergency lights snap on. They aren't much and give the cargo bay an even eerier feeling but there's one focused on the center of the bay and everyone migrates there like moths to a flame.

The man comes trotting back down the upper hallway and makes his way down the stairs quickly. He walks into the cone of light and is considerably younger than you'd expected for someone financing this venture. His shaggy brown hair comes down close to his eyes and his clothes are nothing special. He looks around at every assembled, stopping a moment and looking warily at Mr. Sing before speaking.

"Howdy! Thank you all for coming. Welcome to the first meeting for the Venture crew and shareholders. Call me Duke or The Duke if you'd like, it's just easier that way." He holds up his arms and gestures to the ship. "This here's the Venture in case you couldn't guess and she is all mine, fair and square. She's in need of serious work as the gorram bastard I won her from gutted her completely except for the engine, which is in shambles anyways. I don't have enough capital to finance her refurbishing so I'm establishing shareholders and a crew to form a small company around her. You will each own a share of her based on your contribution to her refurbishment, whether that is in monetary donations or labor or crewing her. Once she is off the ground we will take jobs and split the earning just like a legit company. Once we have her up we'll establish a system for pulling jobs. Primary shareholdership currently goes to me, seeing as I am supplying the ship. Those interested in simply taking a wage can be set up, though we'll have to pay you in shares to begin with. Alright, let's open this up to questions and discussion."

[SilentNight]

So who's still here?
Kenneth Selden
out of work black marketeer
"So it's merit based?" Ken asks. "And how exactly are we supposed to fund the refurbishing? It's not like we're all rolling in cash," he gestures around at the potential crewmembers. "If we do get her off the ground though, I can probably get stuff for her to run, like a legitimate country.

[King Tius]

Here Mr. Sing smiles. "I-a have no in-ter-est in flying around spaceship. I have need for carrier, yes? I-a have in-ter-est in share holder. Big share holder."

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena (hesitates)

"I... uh... have access to some supplies you might be interested in,that could be my contribution, but, uh, they're kinda hard to get to. Here on this planet, but no roads leading to where they are."

[ubersquid]

Thomas flips his PDA out once again and silently curses at it.

"So... what do you need first to get this thing going?"

[Headless_Ninja]

Aaron:

"I, well, don't really have much in the way of, y'know cash. Or supplies, really. Just my tools and, uh, me. Won't be much of a shareholder, but a wage is good, if you'll have me, that is. Uh.... So these shares we'll be paid with, 'fore we're getting to the cash wages, do they come with, uh, food? Not to seem... Ungracious, like"

[King Tius]

"We've got enough for food and lodging, that you'll not need to worry about. As for reloading the ship, we'll need to start with that engine. It is in need of serious repairs and someone with a mechanical eye should give it a look over to see what we need. The air scrubbers, grav system, central computer, and lots of general small maintenance is needed just to get her orbital-space worthy. So, what about the rest of you? Who is in and who's out? What can you do? How much are you willing to put down?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
"Sei Sun"

The General laughed as Sing spoke. Somehow Mr. Sing had managed not to master the language that was spoken by everyone throughout the galaxy. The General hoped he could at least give him a decent fistfight if he was offended, but he doubted Sing would be. He expected the poor mentally retarted man got reactions like this all the time.

"Duke, eh? Like that's your real name. My name's Sei Sun, and I'm not interested in any shares of this gorram trashpile. I just need a ride off the planet and a room I can call my own on the way. I'll do whatever work is needed, and since this ship doesn't exactly seem legit I bet you'll be able to use a strong hand on deck with some experience. I just need to know when you can get this heap off the ground"

[SilentNight]

Keneth Selden
Out of work black marketeer

Kenneth pats himself down, "Flat broke, sorry, that's why I'm here. If I wasn't I'd be halfway to some other world on a ship of my own. So I've not any capital to donate. Give me some time though and I can probably put together some advances on jobs."

[ubersquid]

"Hey I could have a look at the computers!" Tommy suddenly bursts out way too loud. After realizing it, he quietly takes a step back and clears his throat.

"I'm sorry... my name's Tommy, and I also would need a lift off this planet... I have some money though! And I might be able to buy some of these shares you spoke of."

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena
"I... might be able to contribute some starting capital as well as the supplies I mentioned. I guess we're just expected to trust you? I mean, it's not like we're going to get a business lawyer to look over our contracts. At any rate, even if this ship can't go orbital, if we can at least get it to fly in the atmosphere, or if we can get some other kind of small aircraft, then we can go load up on my supplies. I might even have some tools you can use, though nothing too sophisticated."

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
"Sei Sun"

"I might know where we can get some electronics, but I need to be sure someone can place them in the ship quick enough to leave as soon as we get them"
The General inhaled and two pillars of smoke erupted from his nose.
"Have we got some sort of land transportation? Something to move stuff quickly, or to move stuff that's too heavy to be dragged by hand?"

[Headless_Ninja]

"I could maybe have a look at those electronics... Not sure I'd be much help. But I'll help shift stuff, and, uh, get your engine running if it's possible. I'm Aaron, by the way; did I mention that?"

[King Tius]

Ms. Sinclare smiles, "I've got a land transport we can use. I'll have to go get it." The doctor also pipes up: "shares work." Mr. Sing bows deeply and says: "I-ah will finance boat but want man of mine here. To keep track of my things, yes?"

The Duke smiles. "Shiny! Sounds like we've got ourselves the start of things. Guess we'll start first thing in the morning. Feel free to grab bunks. We'll meet bright and early tomorrow and start getting a list of things together. Feel free to give the ship a look over and figure out what we want to get to first.

OOG: Feel free to post what you do for the rest of the night or in the morning before the meeting. Also, we may want a few more people on this here rig.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena is weary from traveling and the stress of such a new situation. She heads straight to her bunk, locks the door, cleans up, and goes to sleep.

The next morning early risers find her seated at the dining table plucking idly at an interesting-looking musical instrument (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWkvP_Xi22o). If anyone asks, she explains that it was rolled in a blanket on top of her rucksack yesterday. When she sees Ms. Sinclare, she asks further about the land transport she had mentioned.

"We might be able to go by land to pick up my supplies, if it can handle rough terrain and haul a good bit of cargo. Otherwise best to take the ship. Not sure which one would attract less attention, my place is in a wilderness area not too far from here."

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
Out of work black marketeer

Kenneth nods and picks up his bag and the violin case, throwing the former over his shoulder. He heads to the crew's quarters and selects a cabin near to the bridge. After depositing his luggage, he wanders about the ship, poking here and there, removing the odd panel and then replacing it. After he's satisfied and fed, he returns to his cabin and there is silence.

The next morning he rises early and is surprised by Lena being awake ahead of him. "Early riser too I see," he comments offhandedly. "I'd suggest land, a little more conspicuous but I don't think this bird's going to grow wings anytime soon. What's that you've got there?" he points at the instrument.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena Rassekh

"This is a setar. It's a very old instrument, well, the design is old. This particular instrument is only ten years old; my father made it for me.
"That's disappointing we won't be flying soon, as strange as it may sound I think I'll actually feel safer out in The Black than on solid ground. Though I've never been off-planet before..."

---short pause---

"I was surprised to see everyone wearing guns here. I have a hunting rifle and a crossbow back at my... home, but I thought I was taking a risk just smuggling my knife in here."

Lena reaches into her jacket and whips out a wicked-looking kukri. After Kenneth gets a chance to examine it, she puts it back.

"Oh... please don't tell anyone about my weapons. My father told me I should never divulge my weaknesses or my capabilities. You don't have to tell me about your weapons if you don't want. It's just that... well, I guess we don't have much in common yet, so we have to talk about something! But we'll get to know each other well soon, I imagine. Most of us anyway. I think there are some people on this ship that I don't care to know better and they don't care to know me! Am I talking too much? I haven't had anyone to talk to in a while. Maybe I should fix breakfast."

Lena puts her setar aside and bustles about the small galley. She manages to find a pot, a ladle, and some instant gruel, so she prepares enough for everyone on the ship and finds some mismatching bowls.

"Anyway, if we go to my home, I'll be glad to get my other weapons, along with the rest of the supplies I have stocked."

[Headless_Ninja]

Aaron enters the galley.
"Smells good. Well, much better than I was expecting on a ship, anyway. Um. Anything I can, uh, help with?"

[ubersquid]

Tommy joins the others at the dining table after a while. Sleep still in his eyes and his hair in a mess. He takes a small bowl with the gruel Lena prepared smells it and forces a few bits down his throat. He tiredly watches the others while picking around in his bowl but says nothing for the moment.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena (to Aaron)

"Anything you can do to get us safely into space, that's what I'm wishing for. I don't mean to rush you, of course - I hardly know anything about spaceships!"

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
"Sei Sun"

After inspecting the ship, picking a room and boobytrapping it after dropping his suitcase inside, the General went back to town. He was planning to get fairly drunk and have a barfight or two.

He got back to the junkyard at about four at night. He proceeded to have a fistfight with some chairs and then crashed on the table, where he slept until morning.

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
Out of work black marketeer

Kenneth laughs. "I suppose you're right. I've only got these," he gestures to the pistols at his side. "Can't hold much ammo but you don't really need to. How about we talk about music until he decides to wake up and ruin the party." Kenneth gestures at the unconcious bearded man. "I used to play the fiddle, haven't in a long time though."

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
"Sei Sun"

The General's eyes snapped open. He happened to be a very light sleeper, capable of sleeping during bombardments, but also of waking up when someone snook up to him with a knife. If anything could wake the General up though, it was an insult.
"I heard that"
He rolled off the table and crawled up.
"I'll have you know I'm quite popular at parties. Until the furniture starts flying"
The General turned around and lit a cigar for breakfast. He'd have some grub later on, but he liked to savour the first taste of the day. He turned toward his two shipmates again and pulled his coat aside, showing his two guns, one of them a sawn-off shotgun. They were attached to his belt so that they could be cross-drawn. A second belt across the General shoulder held ammo for the shotgun.
"I'm armed too. I hope that doesn't make you uncomfortable. The thing is, it would make me uncomfortable to be out in the black without them"
He smiled and tapped the shotgun.
"This one here can blow a man's face clean off"
He didn't name his guns like some people did. He found the damage they did much more interesting than their personality.

[ubersquid]

Tommy pulls his bowl closer and starts to eat politely now, while he nervously looks at the General and all the firearms present.

[Headless_Ninja]

Aaron picks up his bowl and stands.
"If no-one minds, I think I'll go and, uh, finish this in the engine room? See if I can take a bit of a look at the machinery... That is, if no-one's offended"

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
"Sei Sun"

"Listen, kid, if you've got something to say to me, say it. Show some gorram spine"

[Headless_Ninja]

Aaron stares at Sei Sun for a moment, then hurries off towards the engine room.

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
"Sei Sun"

The General spit on the floor.
"Coward"

"Anyone willing to go along and pick up some electronics? We need 'em, I'm sure of that much, but I need someone to pick out all the good stuff. I can personally drive a ship, not assemble it. Soon as that woman gets here with the landtransport, I expect to be leaving, so make up your minds quickly"

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
Out of work black marketeer
Kenneth nods and rises from his seat. "I know a couple people, they'll give us quality stuff, assuming we can pay. We should probably take along our skittish friend too," he jerks a thumb towards the recently evacuated Aaron.

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
"Sei Sun"

"I don't know who you were planning to see, but we're getting our stuff with James Flinn. I heard good stuff about him. For anything except electronics though, I don't care. Just make sure we pick up the stuff in an order that lets us get off of this planet as soon as possible"

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
Out of work black marketeer

Kenneth shrugs, "He's alright from what I've heard, it'll have to do. Where're we getting the money from though?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

Kenneth Selden
Out of work black marketeer

Kenneth shrugs, "He's alright from what I've heard, it'll have to do. Where're we getting the money from though?"

General Blackburn
"Sei Sun"

The General grins.
"Sing was financing. To me, that means we can buy the most expensive bits of gear we can find"

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selded
Out of work black marketeer
Kenneth returns the grin, "Right you are. We'll have this bird in top shape in no time i that's the case."

[King Tius]

Not too long after Aaron shuffles off The Duke comes in, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. " 'morning all. Nice to see you're still here." He moves to fix himself some grub as Ms. Sinclare walks in, all dressed and with a big old smile on her face. "Alright, anyone want to come along? Shouldn't take more than two hours to get to my ride and a quarter of that to get back." She pulls an apple from her pack and chews, waiting for a reply.

If anyone goes looking around the ship you find Dr. Roe in the gutted medical room, writing furiously in a notebook.

Mr. Sing departed last night and at first many might have suspected that he'd changed his mind. Whoever first ventures outside the Venture finds a short, stocky, very muscular Chinese man sitting on the ground outside the venture, legs crossed and in meditation. He wears loose fitting black pants and wears a very tight white shirt under a nice red vest. He is bald save for his long black pony tail and goatee. (Whoever gets to him first gets to interact with him).

[ubersquid]

Tommy

"Ok, I'll come with you, let me just get my..."

Tommy suddenly jumps from his chair and runs to his quarter, leaving a bowl of half-eaten gruel on the table. He returns with his leather bag and walks up to Ms. Sinclair, pressing it against his body.

"Maybe we can find a bank terminal along the way."

He glances back at the table to see if anyone else would come along, but pretty much looks like he would want to get outside quickly.

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
"Sei Sun"

"Finally! We can get going. C'mon, Kenneth, go get that wimpy mechanic and we'll get out of here"

In his hurry to leave the General moves himself to the exit already, where he found the chinese man meditating.

"What in blazes do you think you're doing here? Scram, vagrant" he says, kicking up some dust at the man.

[King Tius]

The man sitting on the ground looks up patiently at the General. "I am here for Mr. Sing. Who would you be?"


*Bump* Is everyone still there?

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena leaves the ship as well, no rucksack this time. She decides to go into town with the others and steers clear of Sei Sun and the meditating man.

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
"Sei Sun"

"The name's John Smith. What do you want with Sing? I don't even think that zipperhead is around anymore"

[King Tius]

"You misunderstand me, old man, and you will watch your tone when speaking of Mr. Sing. I am his associate and am here on his behalf to oversee his investment in this enterprise."

He gets to his feet and stands facing Blackburn.

"You may call me Yin." He extends a hand to the General.

Ms. Sinclare and those who wish to follow her take off, heading back towards the train station and catching a ride towards the Eavesdown docks.

[MrEdwardNigma]

General Blackburn
"Sei Sun"

Blackburn looks down at Yin's hand with disgust and spits on it, then kicking up some sand towards his face. He prepares to kick Yin, but then the others exit, heading off. The General stops and spits on the floor, a thick brown clod.
"You're lucky, but if you're going to be a brutal runt like that to me again, I'll knock you right into next week, boy. No-one calls me and old man, and they certainly don't give me no warnings if they know what's good for them. You'd better watch it, Yin"
The General walks off, following Ms. Sinclare.

[King Tius]

OOG: Never done Free-form combat before, this should be fun!

The General spits in Yin's hand and starts to speak. He gets halfway through the word "lucky" when Yin's hand, still open and covered in spit, darts forward and jabs him in the throat, gagging him. He takes a step backwards from the blow, walking straight into Yin whirling roundhouse kick. Yin's foot catches the General square in the temple and dropping him to the floor in an arc similar to the down swing of Yin's foot. The Asian man sees those watch him and bows respectfully in one fluid motion with his kick, his spit hand still held open.

"Greetings. I am Mr. Sing's associate. You may call me Yin." He wipes his hand on the General's shirt and stands up. "Where are we headed?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

Using this thread for OOC considering no-one seems to be using the proper one.

Tius, I don't even get a chance to defend myself? This Yin fellow's sitting I'll remind you, the General got first strike and the General happens to be an extremely talented fighter. It's one of his principal skills. That and shooting, I'd say. I mean, he gets in barbrawls every day, several times, and he pretty much always wins. Him getting his ass ahnded to him like this is just ridiculous, especially because he's expecting it. He lures people into fights, if you hadn't noticed, because he likes to fight.

[King Tius]

I'm going to put the game on "pause" here because I would like everyone's input. This is why I don't like freeform!

My reasons for the General getting pwned:

A) "He gets to his feet and stands facing Blackburn."
-Yin is facing you

B) "He prepares to kick Yin, but then the others exit, heading off. The
General stops and spits on the floor, a thick brown clod."
- You do NOT have first strike, you were going to attack but stopped
and spoke.

C) This is where freeform really breaks down. The General loves to get in
fights and is a big buy (Jayne size, let's say). Yin is a highly trained
martial arts master, one of the top tier members of a karate oriented
institution (trying to not spoil stuff). He also catches the General off
guard and leads with a debilitating attack. The General may be stronger
but this guy is definitely faster.

D) I'm the GM.

E) Where we using character sheets, I would have built Yin superior to
the General mechanically. He's part of the story I have in mind.

F) Serenity combat is weird

If someone else would like to take over, I'd gladly just play the Doctor. If every time someone tries to shoot someone or fix something or do anything else skill based I rule differently then their character seems inclined for, this game will just become full of hurt feelings and bad Karma. I would suggest we spool up some character sheets or someone with a better hand at freeform take the helm.

[ubersquid]

I am mostly on King Tius' side with this.

First, the General so had it coming anyway. Pretty much everything he said by now was an insult to someone. I see nothing wrong with PCs who bother the others, allthough you might have overdone it a bit. As far as i have seen, there is no one who would put the General in his place by himself among the other PCs, but I would have imagined some kind of combined effort by everyone in the future.

I see freeform RPGs more like a way of collaborative story-telling than trying to get the own character to "win". Again there is nothing wrong with trying to get away with as much as possible, but the GM usually has a plan and his final say should be accepted.

The only thing that might have been missing in this fight was the chance for the General to react at all, even if it would have been futile and Tius would have written every punch he dealt into a parry and counterattack. On the other hand I can really imagine how this fight was over so fast, that there simply was no chance to react. These missunderstandings need to be talked out, but we are doing it right now, right?

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Yeah, no offense, but even disregarding the encounter with Yin, I considered Sei Sun to be a "toxic" character from the beginning. He's not a team player, which makes things difficult when the rest of the characters are trying to create a team. Not to say that he's not a cool concept, but I think he would be better as an NPC. I think Lena would rather go find another ship than continue interacting with Sei Sun. It seems the only options other than doing what Sei Sun wants all the time are avoiding him or open confrontation (which is what Sei Sun seems to want, to turn it into a fight). From the character descriptions, it seems like Sei Sun is more than a match for Lena in combat, so if my character was a little more unscrupulous she would be considering poisoning his oatmeal, but I don't think PC-on-PC violence is what we're looking for in this thread.

One potential solution: Sei Sun can become an NPC, and ENigma can create another PC?

[Headless_Ninja]

OOC: I did like the cinematic way that the fight went, but agree that ENigma should have had some chance to declare his intended actions, even if it was still inevitable that he would be unable to make them. As far as an NPC Sei Sun goes, I'm not sure about that; I was actually rather enjoying the squabbling and imbalance of power, so long as we could be sure that balance would eventually come about (doubtless in a poetic manner). Just my two cents...

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
Out of work Black marketeer

Kenneth starts as Yin explodes at the general and the calms as he sees the man on his back. He nods at Mr. Yin and says, "Dong ma." He then bends and offers a hand to the general, "You want to get going?"

[Bonecrusher Doc]

"Greetings. I am Mr. Sing's associate. You may call me Yin." He wipes his hand on the General's shirt and stands up. "Where are we headed?"

Lena decides Yin would be a good person to have on her side.
Lena
"We're on our way to Eavesdown Docks to see about some parts for the ship and some sort of vehicle to haul them. Please, will you join us?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

B) "He prepares to kick Yin, but then the others exit, heading off. The
General stops and spits on the floor, a thick brown clod."
- You do NOT have first strike, you were going to attack but stopped
and spoke.
The General would still be aware a fight was about to ensue, even though he wouldn't continue pushing it. He'd still be prepared for an attack, since he's been in this kind of situation countless times before.


C) This is where freeform really breaks down. The General loves to get in
fights and is a big buy (Jayne size, let's say). Yin is a highly trained
martial arts master, one of the top tier members of a karate oriented
institution (trying to not spoil stuff). He also catches the General off
guard and leads with a debilitating attack. The General may be stronger
but this guy is definitely faster.
So he'd be faster, harder to hit, not taking out a man the size of the General with two blows. Sending a man with that kind of weight flying is just really unlikely.

The thing I take most issue with is that there wasn't any actual combat. The General never had a chance and never got any way of responding. He just got his ass kicked in a humiliating way, and this for a character who specialises in hand to hand fights. If there's anything the General should have been able to do in this game, it's beating this guy, or at least have had a fighting chance.

As for the General being "toxic" and generally unlikable, well, yes. He's supposed to be unlikable by the rest of the crew. No-one liked Jayne, but they still kept him around. What's more, the General never actually tried to sell anyone out, nor would he ever. He just likes a brawl once in a while, but he'd be pretty protective of "his" crew. He works fairly well in a team once he grows a certain fondness of the rest of his crewmembers.

Oh, and he may have had it coming, being a bit of a jerk and all, but that shouldn't matter. People win fights being good fighters, not by being saints.

As for NPCing the General and making a new character, I won't do that. I'm quite fond of this character, and I believe he can work fairly well in a team, and certainly make things more interesting. A whole crew of goody-two-shoes is just dull after all. And if Lena would poison his food, that would just make her evil :smallannoyed: The General isn't a total bastard, he just likes to fight.

The General
The General takes Kenneth's hand.
"Thanks. He caught me off guard. He tries that again and he'll be hurting for weeks"
The General followed the rest of the crew, eyeing Yin angrily along the way. He couldn't remember the last time he lost a fight, but he seemed to recall the guy had been twice his size. Anyone who could afford to hire this kind of help probably wasn't to be trusted.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Lena

What a motley crew we are, thinks Lena as they walk. I wonder what we'll see at the docks.

[King Tius]

OOG: If you'd like to continue discussing this, we can do so in the OOC section

Yin accompanies the rest of the group as you follow Ms. Sinclare to Eavesdown. Not the Docks, mind you, but the town proper. She leads you to the warehouse section of Eavesdown and brings you to a smaller warehouse located somewhere in the middle of all the other buildings. It is a squat, one story storage facility with no windows. Ms. Sinclare fiddles with a control pad at one end of the cargo door before it slowly begins to rise. Lights flick on and you can see that the place is full of various crates and boxes off all sizes. A hover mule is also parked inside. Ms. Sinclare looks around with a determined expression and starts pointing out boxes and crates.

"Grab that one and that one over there. This whole stack can go."

She walks off towards a small office located in the back corner of the building. Yin stands there, not moving.

[MrEdwardNigma]

I was using the OOC all along, but no-one seems to read it :smalltongue: Then again, maybe that's your point

The General
The General started hauling boxes into the mule.
"What's in these anyways?" he asked.

[SilentNight]

Kenneth Selden
Out of work blackmarketeer

Kenneth shrugs and begins moving crates as well.

[ubersquid]

Thomas Nikagi

Tommy estimates the weight of some of the boxes and then picks up the ones that seem lighter and carries them to the mule. After a few crates he seems to get distracted by the all the other crates around. He begins to wander around between them, wondering about their content.